PLANNING THE FIRST BIRTHDAY

From food to decorations to planning the perfect first birthday outfit, planning the first birthday can be a little overwhelming. The urge to splurge on cute party decorations, toys, and outfits for the little one is almost irresistible, but it’s worthy to note that your baby won’t even remember it. First Birthdays are mostly just for the parents, family, your friends, and of course, the cute pictures, so don’t feel too stressed out!

Parties, though, don’t mix very well with babies. Plan an event that doesn’t last for more than a few hours, and where your baby makes their grand appearance after they’ve had their nap-time.

Who to invite is a big question, but it mostly depends on your budget and the space available to you. If you plan to have an intimate gathering, inviting your family and a few close friends is enough. Planning an all-out birthday bash, however, will involve a lot more people. You can invite some of your co-workers who have kids as well as kids from any play groups that your baby may be a part of.

While hosting the party at a restaurant or a children’s play space will save you from the clean-up (as well as the preparations), it can be a little expensive. Having it at your home means the baby will be in a familiar place and they can even take small naps in between. You can also check with your local park department to see if you can host your party there!

The theme of the party is the most important for the pictures. At the end of the day, whatever your baby is going to remember about this day is through the pictures they see. If your baby has a special toy, you can try to plan a theme around that, or you can try different themes based on the season. There are loads of ideas out there, and many DIY options to go with them, to help you budget.

As for the food, take into consideration whether your party is going to be mostly adults or if there will be kids of various ages attending as well. For the kids, you can serve bite-sized finger foods like mini grilled cheese sandwiches or chicken nuggets to make sure they don’t need a lot of extra help. As for the adults, try wraps, sandwiches or fries with dips. Make sure to include in your invitation whether you will serve a full meal or just cake and snacks. Double checking with anyone about any restrictions or food allergies that they might have is always wise. Amidst all this, don’t forget to keep your baby’s favourite food at the ready so they can enjoy their day as well.

Party favours are, of course, customary for the kids. You can look through a variety of options. A small bag of goodies or candies is the traditional way to go. You can try to pick a favour that the entire family can appreciate, although that might be a little difficult. If required, let the parents check the goodies first before handing them out to the kids for any toys or candies that they want to keep away for later (toddlers on a sugar high are not something parents want).